Thermostatically-operated fuel-controlling device



H. w. ODOWD Original Fild April 9, 925

THERMOSTATICALLY OPERATED FUEL CONTROLLING DEVICE April 22, 1930.

INVENTOR. w 010 K IATTORNEYXZ Patented Apr. 22, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HENRY W. O DO'WD, OF JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO STANDARD GAS EQUIPMENT CORPORATION, A CORPORATION OF MARYLAND THERMOSTATICALLY-OPERATED FUEL-CONTROLLTNG DEVICE Original application filed April 9, 1925, Serial No.

. 1927. Serial This invention relates to thermostatically operated fuel controlling devices, and has reference more particularly to devices of this kind suitable for use in connection with ovens or other heating chambers of gas stoves to regulate the heat thereof.

The general objects of the invention are to provide a device which is of simple construction and involves a minimum of parts; which is highly sensitive in action and capable of responding promptly to slight changes in temperature which is positive and uniform in operation; and which may be readily and conveniently adjusted to vary the degree of 16 the controlled temperature.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a vertical section through a portion of the oven of a gas stove showing in longitudinal section the improved thermo- 20 static controlling device applied thereto.

Fig. 2 is a cross sectional elevationof the same on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Figs. 3 and 4 are similar views respectively on the lines 3-3 and 44 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of theadjusting dial wheel of the thermostatic device and the adjacentvalve casin 1 Referring to the drawings: The thermostatic element of the improved controlling device is shown as located in the top flue 1 of an oven 2 of a gas stove, which oven is heated by a burner or burners (not shown) supplied'with gas from a supply pipe 3 under the control of the thermostatic device presently to be described, the heat currents from a the burner flowing upwardly through side flues in the oven and entering the top flue where they act onthe thermostatic element; but it will be understood that .the improved device may be employed in other relations to the ovens or other heating chambers 'of gas stoves without departing from the spirit of the invention, the present invention being concerned with the form and construction of the thermostatic controlling deviceper se without re ard to the particular location of the same in its relation to the gas' stove.

The improved device comprises essentially a thermostatic element or couple 4 and a- 21,742. Divided and this application filed May 5, No. 188,891.

valve 5 operated by said couple to control the flow of the gas to the heating burner. The thermostatic couple may be of any suitable and appropriate form and construction, but

in the preferred embodiment illustrated it comprises an external tube 6 of a metal haying a relatively high co-efiicient of expansion thereof for the purpose presently to be described. The outer end of the thermostatic tube is fixedto a valve casing 9 which is located on the outer side of the'oven structure and is firmly fastened thereto, in the present instance by means "of a hollow axial boss 10 projecting inwardly from the side of the casing and extending through the side of the oven structure, and .through a heat insulating packing 11 between the outer wall of r the oven structure anda plate 12 at the outer side of the flue 1. The inner end of the boss terminates within the flue-where it is screw threaded to receive a fastening nut 13 which when screwed up on the boss, will engage the plate 12 and draw and bind the valve casing fixedlyand' firmly against the outer side of the oven structure} v The valve, casing 9 is of generally annular form and is provided at its top with a radial hollow boss 5 constituting a gas inlet which is supplied with gas from the gas supply pipe 3 screwed intosaid boss. This gas inlet communicates with an elongated annular port 14 formed in the wall of a valve cylinder 15 in the interior of the casing, which port fully surrounds and communicates with the interior of the cylinder and constitutes in ef-' fect a gas receiving chamber. The valve 5 is in the form of a piston fitted to slide in the valve cylinder, and it is provided with a groove like elongated annular port 16 which communicates with the port 14, the degree of communication between the two ports being dependent on the position of the valve as controlled by the thermostatic couple. The valve is further formed with a number of axial ports 17 leading from the annular port 16 into a gas outlet in-the form of a gas sup ply chamber 18 in the valve casing at the outer 'end of the valve, and this gas outlet chamber connects with the oven burner through a downwardly extending pipe 19 tapped at its upper end in the lower side of the valve casing and communicating with the outlet chamber by a hole 20 formed in the valve casing, as clearly shown in Fig. 1.

From the construction described, it will be seen that the gas from the supply pipe 3 entering the annular port 14 in the valve casing will pass into the annular port 16 in the valve and thence out through the axial ports 17 into the outlet chamber 18, whence it will flow through the hole 20 in the valve casing and enter the pipe 19 by which it will be conducted to the oven burner. It is thus seen that the gas supplied to the oven burner in passing from the inlet to the outlet is subjected to the regulating action of the thermostatically operated valve, which controls the communication between said inlet and outlet.

When the temperature in the oven is high and causes a corresponding expansion of the thermostatic tube, the latter pulls on the rod 7 and moves thevalve to the right in Fig. 1, thereby shifting its annular port 16 relative to the annular port 14 in the valve casing and restricting the communication between the two, and thereby reducing the supply of gas to the oven burner. When, however, the thermostatic tube contracts, due to a lower temperature in the oven, the rod 7 is pushed in the oppositedirection, and the valve is. correspondingly shifted to open up the ports and thereby increase the supply of gas to the burner.

It may be noted at this point that there is associated with the oven burner, a pilot burner (not shown) which is supplied with gas, when the oven is in use, by means of a feed pipe 21 tapped at its upper end in the underside of the valve casing and communicating with the outletchamber 18 through a hole 22 in the valve casing.

The piston valve is screwed ontothe end of the thermostatic rod, so that by turning the valve in one direction or the other, it may be adjusted relatively to the thermostatic couple to vary the temperature of the oven, according to the articles of food'being cooked. This adjustment of the valve is efii'ected in the present instance by means of an adjusting dial wheel 23 which is attached, in the man-r ner presently to be described, toa stem or stud 24 projecting outwardly from a member in the form of a tapered hub 25 rotatably mounted in a corresponding bearing opening in a outer wall of the valve casing and forming a part of said wall. The tapered hub is held gas tight in its bearing opening by a. spring 27 encircling the stem 24 and bearing respectively ag'ainst the outer side of the screw plug 26 and a pin 28 fixed .to the stem. .At its inner larger end, the hub projects a short distance beyond the inner face of the plug, and the projecting, end is covered by a plate 29 fastened at its outer edge to the screw plug and serving as an additional means in preventing the'escape of the gas between the hub and its seat. A flattened pin or lug 30 extends axially inwardly from the hub and through a circular hole in the plate 29 and is slidingly fitted in a slot 31 formed in the out er end of the piston valve, so that by turning the dial wheel, the valve may be adjusted as hereinbefore described, without breaking its connection with the adjusting wheel.

The'dial wheel 23 is provided on its periphcry with graduations 32 which are adapted to be read'in connection with a pointer 33 fixed to an upward extension or lug 34 on the valve casing, by means of a fastening screw 35. The dial wheel is attached to the stem 24 in such manner as to admit of the adjustment ofthe wheel circumferentially relatively'to the stem in the direction of the spacing of the 'graduations, and this for the purpose.

of enabling the parts to be set in their proper relative position during assemblage, to meet the varying conditions encountered in practice in respect to the different thermal values and the different pressures which the gas possesses in different localities. In the present instance this adjustment is effected by means of a toothed washer or disk 36 formed with a central slot which receives a squared stud 37 projecting from the outer extremity of the stem 34.. so that when the washer is turned it will impart a turning movement to the stem and the parts connected therewith.

The inner face of the dial wheel is recessed to receive the washer, and the peripheral -wall of the recess is formed with teeth 38 adapted to engage between the teeth on the washer and thereby interlock the wheel with the washer. the wheel being held in place, with the two sets of teeth detachably interlocked, by means of a screw stud 39 extending through a hole 40 in the wheel and screwed into the outer end of the stud 37 the head of the screw bearing against the outer face of the wheel. By this method of mounting the dial wheel, it can be adjustedcircurnfer- Y entially in the direction of the spacing of the graduations relative to the stem operated thereby, by first loosening the screw stud sufficiently to disengage the teeth, then shifting the head around to the desired position, and

again engaging the teeth and screwing up the stud to maintain the parts in their adjusted ,position. By such adjustment of the dial plug 26 screwed into a threaded hole in the wheel, the graduations on'the wheel may be caused when positioned opposite the pointer 33 to indicate the actual temperature required under any given conditions.

The dial wheel is limited in its movement 5 to a single rotation through 360 by means of a stop lug 41 projecting outwardly from the outer side of the valve casing in position to be engaged by a lug 42 extending inwardly from the inner side of the wheel near its outer edge, the adjustment of the valve between its two extremities on the thermostatic rod, being effected by the motion of the dial wheel within a complete rotation of the same.

The advantages of the foregoing arrangement of the parts will now be clear. Due to its direct connection to the thermostatic couple, the valve 5 is highly sensitive in action and responds instantly to temperature changes, there being no spring or other articu- 20 30 14 to the outlet or gas supply chamber through a by-pass opening 43 formed in the ,valve casing. which is controlled by a throttling screw 44, see Fig. 3, the purpose being to insure that the oven burner, as well '35 as the pilot burner, are supplied with :1 limited amount of gascontinuously and independently of that controlled by the thermostatic valve, and this in order to prevent the supply of gas from being cut off entirely from the burnersby the action of the valve.

Wherever in the specification and claims a port is mentioned in' describing the ports 14 and 16, it is intended that the expression inclilde a slot-like continuous port, as shown, 45

or a portmade up of a series of individual holes or openings related to each other so as to conjointly form in effect an elongated or extended port. and to include also a port otherwise specifically formed to function similar to the ports shown.

In the foregoing description and accompanying drawings the invention has been set forth in the particular detailed form which it is preferred to adopt, but it will be manifest that the details may be variously changed and modified without departing from the spirit of the invention. It should be under stood,- therfore, that the invention is not limited to any particular form or construction of the parts. except in so far as such limitations are specified in the claims.

Having thus described my. invention, what I claim is:

. 1. In a thermostatic fuel controlling device, the combination of a valve casing, a

thermostatic couple, a valve adjustably connected to said couple and movable by the latter to control the flow of fuel through the casing, a member rotatably mounted gas tight in the wall of the casing and enga ed with the said valve for adjusting it, a p ate mounted on said member and vprovided with teeth, anda rotary dial wheel formed with teeth adapted to interlock with the teeth on the plate and detachably connected with-said rotary member; whereby the wheel may be adjusted circumferentially with reference to the member by disengaging the teeth, and

may be held in its new engagement of the teeth.

2. In a thermostatic fuel controlling deposition by the re- .vice. the combination of a valve casing, a

thermostatic couple, a valve adjustably connected to said couple and movable by the latter to control the flow of fuel through the caslng, a member rotatably mounted gas tight in the wall of the casing and engaged with the valve for adjusting it and provided with an outwardly extending stem, a toothed plate mounted on said stem, and a rotary dial wheel provided with graduations spaced in the direction of its rotation and detachably fastened to the stem, said wheel being formed on its inside with a recess receiving the plate and having teeth to engage those on the plate. 3. In a thermostatic fuel controlling device. the combination of a valve casing, a-

thermostatic couple. a valve adjustably connected to said couple and coaxial therewith and movable by the'latter to control the flow of'fuel through the casing, a tapered member rotatably mounted in a correspondingly formed bearing opening in the outer wall of the valve casing, said member being engaged with the valve for adjusting it and being provided with an outwardly extending stem, a spring for holding said tapered member gas tight'to its seat, said spring bearing against the outer side of the valve casing and against the stem, and a dial wheel connected stem for rotating said member. J

4. In a thermostatic fuel controlling device, the combination of a thermostatic couple. a valve casing provided with a fuel inlet and integrally formed'interiorly with a valve couple and sliding in the valve cylinder, a

fuel outlet chamber in the valve casing, said valve being formed withan elongated port cooperating with the first-mentioned port in controlling the flow of fuel into the outlet chamber, a pipe connected with the valve casing for supplying fuel to a'heating burner,

and a communicating opening in the valve with the casing between the outlet chamber and said pipe.

5. In a thermostatic fuel controlling device, the combination of a thermostatic couple, a valve casing provided with a fuel inlet and integrally formed interiorly with a valve cylinder coaxial with the thermostatic couple, an elongated, port formed in the wall of I and fully surrounding the valve cylinder and forming a fuel-receiving chamber and communicating respectively with said inlet and with the interior of the cylinder, a piston valve directly connected adjustably-with the thermostatic couple and sliding in the cylinder, a fuel outlet chamber in the valve casing, said valve being formed with an elongated port cooperating with the first-mentioned port in controlling the flow of fuel into the outlet chamber, a pipe connected to the valve casing for the supply of fuel to a heating burner, a second pipe connected to said casing for the supply of fuel to a pilot burner, and communicating openings 1n the valve casing between the outlet chamber and J said pipes.

6. In a thermostatic fuel controlling device, the combination of a thermostatic couple, a valve casing provided with a fuel inlet and integrally formed interiorly with a valve cylinder coaxial with the thermostatic couple, an elongated port formed in the wall of and fully surrounding the valve cylinder and forming, a fuel-receiving chamber and communicating with said fuel inlet and with the interior of the cylinder, a piston valve directly connected with the thermostatic couple and sliding in the valve cylinder, a fuel dependently of said valve.

outlet chamber in the valve casing, said valve being formed with an elongated port having axial ports leading therefrom and cooperating with the first-mentioned port in 'controllingthe flow of fuel intothe outlet cham her, a pipe connected with the valve casing and communicating with the outlet chamber for supplying fuel to a heating burner, and a by-pass formed in the valve casing and establishing a constant limited communication between the'fuel inlet and the fuel outlet, ini In testimony whereof, I have aflixed my signature hereto.

* HENRY W. ODOWD. 

